As someone who enjoys health and wellness retreats, embarking on a foodie excursion to Chicago would require me to adjust my expectations. There would be a dearth of fruits and veggies at mealtime, to be sure – after all, the city is known for its deep-dish pizzas, hot dogs, and pierogis. In fact, it was safe to assume this trip would not involve spa cuisine of any kind.
Chicago’s Magnificent Mile
Alas, the first stop of the food fest was lunch at the Shake Shack, located near the city’s high-end shopping district, Magnificent Mile. This American burger/milkshake chain is well-known among fast-food aficionados. I searched the menu for what I thought would be a somewhat healthy choice – the Shroom (vegetarian) Burger. But I didn’t read the fine print list of ingredients: a crisp-friend Portobello mushroom filled with Muenster and cheddar cheeses, topped with lettuce, tomato and “Shack Sauce”. Yikes – who knew a veggie burger could be so decadent.
A few hours in between meals and then an obligatory visit was paid to Chicago’s Eataly emporium located just around the corner from the Shake Shack. With locations in Chicago, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Europe, Asia and South America, this expansive, multi-level food and retail space sells the best in Italian groceries, artisanal products, as well as coffee and gelato. Upstairs houses a brewery, homemade cheeses and loaves of bread, fresh produce and a dining area with a separate pasta bar. I settled on the ravioli (spinach, ricotta cheese, butter, lemon and sprinkled with chopped pistachios). It was superb. What a difference authentic ingredients can make.
Day Two in the Windy City involved a lot of sightseeing of art and architecture so trying to actually sit down to a meal during the day was a challenge. In fact, given that there was so much to see and do, aside from eating, most breakfasts and lunches would consist of quick stops at a few of Chicago’s well-known chains: Einstein Bros. Bagels; the Corner Bakery Café and Peet’s Coffee, where there would be muffins and bagels galore.
But a sit-down on Saturday night for Chicago’s famous deep dish pizza was a must. Giordano’s Gold Coast location had been repeatedly recommended, and apparently not to just us: there was a line up around the block and an hour-and-a-half wait to get a table. So it was not until 9:30 pm that we were served the cheesy, gooey pie, and a house salad on the side (which seemed to be there mostly for effect).
Sunday brunch at the James Hotel’s David Burke’s Primehouse Dining Room (pictured above) was also delicious. The dry-aged beef at the Prime House undoubtedly appeals to many carnivores, but I chose a rather simple but tasty “Veggie Sandwich” which included grilled camembert, apple, onion and arugula, along with a side salad. Service was top-notch here and the atmosphere, though somewhat traditional in its décor, was comfortable and inviting.
After strolling through some of the more interesting Chicago neighbourhoods including Bucktown and Logan Square, Sunday dinner would also prove to be memorable at the globally-inspired and buzzed-about restaurant, A Girl & the Goat. The restaurant was co-founded by Chicago native Chef Stephanie Izard who has made a name for herself as a previous winner of Bravo TV’s Top Chef, a nomination for best new restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2011 and a Beard prize for Best Chef, Great Lakes in 2013. Izard was also named one of Food & Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chefs” in 2010.
Goat lived up to the hype. It was difficult settling on just a few choices of the many tasting dishes on offer (also, for a tasting menu, the portions were quite generous). We decided on the delicious warm Serrano bread with grilled corn cream cheese and pickles to start; followed by roasted cauliflower with pickled peppers, pine nuts and mint and pan roasted halibut with marcona almond butter, white asparagus, and blueberry nuoc cham, which were both outstanding. I also made room for dessert: Sweet Corn Kulfi, made with Concord grape, caramel corn, peanut brittle and peanut butter “fluff”. A big finish to a great meal, and a food-filled weekend.
In the end, dining in Chicago would leave me wanting for nothing – except maybe a juice cleanse.
Brunch and dinner were provided courtesy of the James Hotel Chicago and A Girl & the Goat, respectively.
Photo of David Burke’s Primehouse dining room courtesy of James Hotel Chicago.
Photo of Magnificent Mile courtesy of City of Chicago courtesy of Choose Chicago.
